Coronation Day
by mentaly
Summary: Three long years have passed since the tragic death of Queen Elsa, and a new Queen is to take her place. On the day of the coronation, however, something unexpected happens. (Queen!Anna AU. Kinda a continuation of 'An Alternate Ending', but could also stand alone as a fanfic. T for darker themes.)


There were three soft, hesitant knocks on the door.

"_Princess Anna?_" a muffled voice called from outside the room. The princess was in her bed, sound asleep. Only this time, instead of her usually complicated sleeping position with her arms over her head and drool dripping out from the side of her mouth, this princess was oddly still. So still that it was almost scary.

Curled up on her bed, hugging her knees tightly, was Anna. She was fighting her dreams – her nightmares, more like it – and it was the recurring dream she'd been having ever since she grew to be of age and became valid for coronation.

_Coronation_.

* * *

The ceremony solemnly took place in the royal hall. Anna was wearing a black sweetheart bodice, with dark green sleeves running down to her thin, delicate wrists. Her strawberry hair was tied up in a neat bun, and a deep bronze cape trailed on behind her as she walked up the steps to stand before the archbishop.

Her knees then began shaking, and beads of cold sweat started to form on her forehead. The room had a stressful air about it, and Anna couldn't help but remember her sister's own coronation day three years ago. She bit her lip, fighting the tension away.

_C'mon, Anna, you can do this. Keep it together_, she thought to herself, trying to rid her mind of the intrusive thoughts about her sister.

The ceremony felt like it went on forever, and Anna had observed this the moment the low, sleepy voice of the archbishop reverberated within the walls of the room. She only was half-listening; the other half of her concentration was reserved for worrying about how big the pressure was going to be after all this. She was to be Queen, like her sister had been, and she didn't know if she would be able to handle it. Her sister Elsa, regal and capable as she was, had barely made it through a single _day_ before she took off to isolate herself in a sanctuary in the form of an ice palace.

What more of Anna?

Anna, who had been underestimated throughout her childhood so much that it actually affected her confidence and belief in herself. Anna, who had been – more often than not – ignored and pushed aside '_for her safety'_. Anna, the spare of Arendelle. And she was to be Queen in a few more minutes.

It was a lot to bear.

_Jeez, no wonder Elsa freaked out and ran away_, she thought to herself.

Once the archbishop was done, the royal scepter and orb were handed to the almost Queen Anna. With shaky, sweaty hands, she took them and faced the people, – there were fewer guests compared to the previous coronation – with anxiety washed all over her face.

"_All hail, Queen Anna of the kingdom of Arendelle. Long live the Queen._"

* * *

After that, a wave of relief swept over her. She was glad that it had finally ended; the expectant looks from the guests were making her anxious, and she wasn't such a big fan of the feeling. Her old friend Kristoff was nowhere to be found, but after pushing him away for months and wanting to be alone all the time, Anna wasn't at all surprised.

Just as she returned the royal scepter and orb to the archbishop, the big, heavy, double doors of the palace's royal hall burst wide open.

"Princess Anna!" a proud voice echoed. A figure began emerging from the opened door, and halfway through the isle, it took a halt, revealing a recognizable, beautiful, _treacherous_ face.

_Hans_.

The prince was wearing a gray winter outfit – the very clothing he had worn on the day he slew the former Queen. Not only that, but he was also carrying the same sword as he had that tragic day.

"Or should I say… _Queen_ Anna," he said, kissing his sword like a maniac.

Anna took a nervous reverse step. She had always been known for her fearlessness and tendency to fight back when needed, but after all that time spent dreading and mourning about the death of her sister had made her grow weak and fragile. But of course, Anna would try to hide it. Oftentimes, she would succeed and her weakness would be so concealed that it was almost like nothing had happened, and that she was still the same cheery, adventurous person.

Sometimes, however, Anna would fail.

She cleared her throat. "Wha- What are you doing here?"

Hans chuckled, as if the answer had been floating in front of the girl. "Why don't you guess, my Queen?" He raised an eyebrow at the Queen, who almost growled in his presence.

"I've learned not to trust you and your _games_," Anna said, barely looking at the man before her. "How did you even get in here? Guards! _**Guards**_! Seize this traitor at once!" There was a precariousness in her voice that the prince, as well as everyone in the room, was new to.

Hans approached the Queen, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips as he took every step.

"You'll not be anywhere near me," Anna continued, although her voice was on the verge of cracking. She called for her men and ordered them to capture the prince, but no one seemed to be coming.

"No one is going to help you," he said, shaking his head condescendingly. "Tut, tut. Same old Anna. Naïve, stupid, and _desperate_. When will you ever learn?"

In that moment, a part of Anna died, because Hans was right.

"S- stay away from me! You murdered Elsa! _You murdered her_! You're a _monster_, stay away from me!" She stepped back wards in a frenzy, scrambling past the archbishop and the royal throne. Panicked, reminiscent tears hastily rolled down her ever-freckled cheeks. "Somebody _please_, d- do something!"

But despite her efforts, everyone was just standing there, looking, _watching_. As if it were all a big show. It was when Anna tripped over her supposedly regal bronze cape that the people actually started laughing.

Soon they started pointing at her, calling her names.

"_Nobody loves a spare_!"

"_You're useless and pathetic_!"

"_You're going to die just like your sister_!"

Anna covered her ears, and crouched down in a defeated position. She was crying now; more than she had ever cried before. They were right – she was going to die there, alone and weak. Everyone important in her life, she had let down. Her parents, Elsa, Kristoff. Even herself. And she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

She could feel Hans walking up the same steps as she had earlier. A glimpse of his shadow warned her that the prince was now holding up his sword, ready to execute her, in the same way as he had the previous Queen. But she kept still in her place, like she'd already given up.

The fierce and courageous Anna was gone.

"You know, I've waited a _long_ time to do this," the prince said darkly before he dropped his sword on the poor Queen, who braced for impact.

And it was over.

* * *

In a way, Anna was relieved. Being a Queen was no walk in the park, especially when you had judgmental eyes on you. All her life, she was the _spare_, the _replacement_. She was practically useless; Anna had always known they were just awaiting a purpose for her. And when Elsa died, well, they finally found it.

Maybe she could even be with her sister now.

But within a few seconds, another voice spoke up.

"_Princess Anna_?" Three knocks followed. "_Are you there?_"

Her eyelids flew up, and she was back in her soft, satin-covered bed. It had been the same horrible nightmare for the past two weeks, and frankly, the poor princess was _this_ close to breaking, if she wasn't already broken, that is.

Now, Anna was awake. Yet she was still in the same crouched, _fearful_ position.

* * *

**Another painful fic to write. *sighs* I hope it wasn't too dragging, though! I just wanted to focus on Anna's emotions more, I guess. Leave feedback, yeah? Kthanksbyeiloveyouallsomuch - Aly**


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